Snow of Time
by Murakami no Kitsune
Summary: With his brothers on the run in Hell, his only help a wanted murder and the angel that was supposed to be on his brother's shoulder not responding, will Sam be able to save the only family he has left, or will they fall victim to what fate has in store for them? Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely for fun and I make no profit. Sequel to "Fox in the Chicken Coop".
1. Chapter 1

Snow of Time

Chapter 1

* * *

It had been a year since Dean had died, again. It was a reoccurring theme Sam was sick of and he was not going to be happy until his brother died of natural causes, no supernatural influence needed. However, things rarely worked that way, especially with a Winchester and Sam was getting frustrated.

Not only was his brother dead because of some dick bag of angels, but all supernaturally powered things that may be able to help him save his brother vanished. The closest thing to a demon that he had seen since Lucifer was shoved back in the cage, was a ghost that thought it was going to Hell for a crime it did not commit while alive. It took Sam the better part of a week to convince the spirit it was not going to Hell and to pass on. You might ask yourself, why did Sam not salt and burn the bones? Well, the answer's easy, he did, not that it did any good. The spirit had bound itself to something in the house it was haunting and try as he might, Sam could not find the blasted thing the spirit had hung onto.

He was sure Dean could have figured it out. Despite claims of him being the dimmer of the two Winchester brothers, Sam knew Dean had more instinct to make up for his lack of cold, hard, facts. People, or rather supernatural creatures, just did not get that about his brother and often underestimated him. Not that Sam was complaining about them underestimating his brother, but he could have really used his brother's help on that last case.

With a deep breath to stave off any ill feelings, Sam drove the Impala up the drive of Bobby's in hopes that the older hunter had found something. He had learned his lesson last time about the Impala and Bobby, this time he kept close watch on both and did not dare stick his I-pod in the tape-deck. Not that he was going to listen to Dean's cassettes either, so instead he had opted for the radio. At least all Dean had to do if he returned was changed the station, not that it was going to stop the complaining.

The screen door popped open with a creek after Sam slid from the car, Bobby had obviously recognized the rumble of the Impala, because he was only armed with a flask Sam knew did not contain holy water. Working up a smile, Sam hugged the older hunter, even though he had kept in contact, his visits were few and far between and it was nice seeing the old cooth face to face.

"It's good seeing ya boy, you're look good considering." Bobby's gravely voice grunted out in his ear as a wide hands landed a couple of good pats on his back.

"You too Bobby, considering." Sam nearly jumped when something wet and cold trickled down his back, be he could not help the chuckle at the older man's antics. Apparently Bobby had swapped out flasks since he had last seen him and it was payback for not stopping by sooner.

"Can't ever be too careful." Bobby shrugged with a smirk of his own, obviously enjoying his own shenanigans. Sam grinned in return before Bobby lead him into the house.

Nothing had changed, much, stacks of books shifted around mostly, the fine layer of dust had not been disturbed though and Sam suspected Bobby left it that way on purpose. Better to spot something missing or something that did not belong. Not a bad plan, but he preferred things clean and set in certain ways as apposed to the homey chaos of Bobby's place.

"Have you found anything on getting Dean back?" Sam asked, accepting a beer and popping the top off with Dean's ring. He had not noticed when he got so comfortable wearing it, that popping the top off a beer came so natural to him. It had been too long, Dean had been gone too long.

"Nah, nothing short of opening hell again and considering the lack of demon and angel movement, I'd say Dean hasn't broken yet. Actually, we don't know if it would work again or if it would have to be another righteous man." Bobby took a long draw from his own bottle before setting a compact mirror on the table.

"Bobby, I didn't know you wore womens makeup, you know I like you just the way you are, you don't have to pretty yourself up for me." Sam teased, earning him an eye-roll and a beer cap being flicked at him.

"Idjit, it's a communicator, Kurama had a friend of his, Yusuke send it to me. I can contact this friend of his, but he's on the move and the compact is too traceable for him to keep on him. I was planing on giving the kid a wave when you showed up." Bobby opened the compact and dialed a number, by pushing the blush, eyeshadow and then the lip-gloss.

It was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever seen and he had to resist chuckling.

* * *

'Anata wa kinkyu jitai ni kanshite de yobidashite iru baai moshimoshi, Urameshi o hanasu ni wa, hangu appu shite, atarashi seishin no tantei ni go renraku kudasai. Kore wa kojin-tekina korudearu baai, anata no yobidashi ga watashi no sen'yo kaisen ni tenso sa rete iru ma horudo shite kudasai.'

Sam heard an automated voice and remembered he was not wearing the ear cuff Gabriel gifted them. Taking it from his pocket, he placed it in his ear so he could understand what was being said.

'Moshi Moshi, Urameshi speaking, if you are calling in regards to an emergency, please hang up and contact the new spirit detective. If this is a personal call, please hold while your call is transfered to my private line.' It repeated and half way through the third rendition it switched over to ringing.

"Yo, Yusuke speaking, this better be good." The abrasive tone of Yusuke demanded, he was hunched over a stack of papers and had on a pair of glasses Sam was not sure he needed.

Do demons need glasses?

"It's Singer, I was checking in to see if you've heard from a mutual friend of ours?" Bobby demanded back, just as gruff and abrasive.

"Oh, Mr. Singer, sorry, I've been a bit busy. He contacted me this morning, he states and I quote, 'returning to the chicken coop', whatever that means. Also, I've had a trusted friend looking, pardon, listening in on your situation. Rumor has it, that the two mortals in the cage have escaped, there is whispers they are working their way up as we speak. I'm assembling a team to send down to aid them, if they manage to keep a low profile they should be fine, but I warn you, the lower down you go in the Makai, the stronger the demons get. If it weren't for my title as King on this level, the barrier would have exiled me to probably the second to last level, leaving only the cage and the pit at the bottom." Yusuke informed them and Sam's heart leaped in his chest.

Dean had escaped the cage, possibly with Adam to boot.

"I get the reference, I'll give you a ring in a couple of days." Bobby responded and Sam leaned over Bobby's shoulder so Yusuke could see him.

"Are you going to be going down? I mean you just said you were really strong." Sam asked and Yusuke lowered his head in apology.

"I'm sorry, I can't leave my thrown open, though I trust my friends, I wouldn't leave them open for an attack like that." Yusuke apologized, resting his elbows on his desk and giving a long sigh. Sam could tell he really wanted to help out, which meant a lot considering he didn't even know Yusuke.

"It's alright, I think I understand, but any help you can lend my brother and I would be appreciated."

"Your brother and you? You're not seriously considering going down there are you? No offense, but humans tend to draw demons in like broiled fish in the morning." Yusuke lamented and Sam did not quite understand the reference, but he assumed it was similar to the smell of bacon in the morning.

Dean loved bacon, not just in the morning, he would wear bacon if he could... well, maybe not that much, now that he thought about it, he remembered mention of a bacon scented cologne.

"I really am, I couldn't save him before, this time I'm going to part of the reason he is brought back. I'm going to try and contact a friend of ours to come with me, he's been in hell before and might have an idea where Dean might be." Sam confirmed and Yusuke whistled low and shook his head.

"Got balls for a human, I can admire that, but understand that even my best team might not be able to protect you, you'll be more of a hindrance than help. However, I can understand feeling useless, I'll tell the others." Yusuke advised and Sam was relieved Yusuke did not refuse to allow him to help. He could see why Kurama could be friends with this guy, this demon.

"Thank you, Yusuke, for everything, even though you hardly know us." Yusuke looked almost bashful at the compliment and snorted.

"Yeah, yeah, can't refuse someone in need, however, I have a pile of work to do, talk to you later." Yusuke turned off his communicator and the compact screen returned to a mirror.

Bobby stowed the mirror away with a frown, obviously not pleased with Sam's persistence about going with the search party.

"Do you think Cas will actually come? You've been calling him for a year, I doubt he'll come now." Bobby voiced Sam's fear out loud, but there was the small chance Cas would come now that they have a solid lead.

"I have to try, I feel he's stayed away out of guilt about not being able to help more. However, what does 'returning to the chicken coop' mean?" Sam asked, it was nice to know Kurama was still alive, he had felt awkward about asking before now, especially with how he treated him when they first met.

"This is the 'chicken coop', Yusuke sent me a letter a while ago, passed on from Kurama. It had codes and stuff on it so I could keep track with how he was doing. This is the chicken coop, Yusuke's is Phoenix Cove and if he has to lay low for a while he sends a message saying that he is going discount shopping."

"Reminds me of Dean and I's codes for when we run into trouble." Sam reminisced polishing off his beer. "I'm going to hit the hay, it was a long drive and I just finished a case. I'll try and contact Cas when I get up." Sam informed the older hunter before washing out his bottle, tossing it in the bottle box and wondering off to the spare room for much needed sleep.

* * *

AN: First chapter to the sequel of "Fox in the Chicken Coop", I hope you all enjoyed the continuation so far!


	2. Chapter 2

Snow of Time

Chapter 2

* * *

Kurama stared at the white locks glaring back at him in the mirror. No matter how many times he dyed his hair, it changed back every time he shifted from his human form, to his fox form. Not that he was not proud of his fur color, white fur after all was a rare and expensive pelt, but it made blending in that much harder.

Dying his hair had gotten expensive, so he had bought a wig with the little bit of cash he managed to keep scrapped together. His stash he had smuggled away centuries before was depleted after a year, having to liquidate it for quick cash, it also meant it left a handy trail his enemies could follow for a while. Even the change over to hustling or theft drew Reikai's attention, as it seemed as if they were personally looking into every theft in the three worlds.

Putting on the wig, Kurama was careful to hide every strand of white hair. He then picked up his toiletries from the hotel sink and placed them in his back pack. He had traded his old one with a college student and though it was a down grade, the longer he held onto something, the easier it was to track him. The back pack contained a few things he needed, some of his money, clothes, grooming implements, calorie dense bars, a few packets of seeds and tools he had procured along the way. It was not enough to last more than a couple of weeks, however, it had served him well during dry patches in hustling.

Turning off the light he really did not need, Kurama stepped out of the bathroom, backpack in hand and double checked the room for any evidence that he had been there. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he exited the room, made sure the door locked and returned his key to the front desk before walking down the street.

He needed a car, it was going to be too far to walk to Bobby's and Yusuke had sent a message saying Kuronue had escaped the cage several days ago. Time was of the essence and he needed to get there as quickly as possible.

It was harder finding an older car than he thought, most cars had alarms and various theft prevention these days. However, find one he did, it was an old Station Wagon that had no locks, the driver's window did not roll down and it took several tries to get it started. It had been the longest car theft he had attempted yet and he was afraid the owner would return, but they never showed.

The drive took even longer than anticipated, considering a third of the way there the transmission went and he had to hitch hike to the nearest town. It drew more attention than he wanted, so he back tracked and took a different route, adding even more time to the trip. It did not help he had only been driving for a year and big city traffic still made him a little nervous. Demons were crazy, but once the supposed fragile ningen got behind the wheel of a car, all hell broke loose. Sometimes Kurama could hardly see the logic behind cars and the roads they traveled. It had to be one of the most dangerous ways to travel ningens had invented yet and Kurama hated every minute of it. However, in the end, the rusted out cars and the dusty driveway of Singer Salvage never looked better than it did at that moment.

Parking away from the junked cars as much as he could, Kurama released a metal eating fungus to devour the car and turned to the house with as much grace as he could muster. The thought that Bobby had not talked to Yusuke yet crossed his mind, so instead of sneaking in as he had planned to, he knocked lightly on the front door, glancing around to see if he could spot the Impala, which was nowhere to be seen.

Foot steps echoed on the other side of the door before they stopped in front of it. There was a pause, probably Bobby looking through the peephole and preparing his shot gun. However when the door was pulled open, Sam stood there, his brow creased in an irritated frown and a cup of water. The cup of water was thrust at him and he took it, raised an eyebrow before taking a sip. This was not the first time since Dean had jumped into the pit he had visited the Salvage yard and he knew Sam's irritation was at Bobby's paranoia.

"He's not possessed, you happy now Bobby?" Sam asked the older man, who was hiding behind the door and Bobby's meaty hand reached around the door to smack him.

"Idjit, demons have been hunting you boys for how long and you aren't at least this careful? It's no wonder things get the jump on you more often than not." Bobby grumbled and Kurama chuckled, glad to see the crotchety old hunter.

"You find something funny boy or are you going to stand there looking like a moron? Get in here and shut that nymphomania hole, I don't have the money to heat the whole damn town." Bobby grumbled, leaning his shot gun by the door and wandering off toward his office.

Kurama and Sam were unsure if they were meant to follow, but they did anyways, sure to shut the door behind them.

Neither wanting to incur the wrath of Bobby.

* * *

AN: Sorry for such a short chapter, I haven't had a whole lot of time the past week to work on it. However, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.


	3. Chapter 3

Snow of Time

Chapter 3

* * *

Dean stared down the pit, actually, it was more of a canyon below the pit. It was where the cage resided and they had climbed nearly all the way up to the pit. Funny how hell worked, just when you think you have hit the bottom, it goes lower still.

Scrambling back away from the edge, not seeing anything eminently dangerous, Dean returned to where Adam was leaned against the wall. The kid had a spaced look and had been mostly unresponsive since they had escaped. Dean was starting to think the cage had been too much for him and that once they made it topside, he would not fair so well. However, once he settled next to the kid, Dean nearly jumped when his estranged brother moved to lean on him.

"Tell me about Sam, I want to here more about our brother." Adam whispered brokenly, however, it was a good step and Dean would take any chance to break the silence that had followed them for weeks since their escape. It was also the first time Adam referred to Sam as their brother, any of the anger he held toward them before was gone now and Dean was sure that their little bonding time in hell had something to do with that.

"Well, Sam was just a baby when Azazel killed our mom, I was barely old enough to climb the stairs on my own and Dad, dad seemed invincible at the time. Sam was so tiny when I carried him out of the fire, but he grew up quick after that. He loved soccer and other sports, anything that didn't have to do with hunting. Funny, you would have thought it would have been Sam jealous of you when we first found out about you. However, Sam was all for telling you the truth and bringing you into the family business, despite dad trying to keep you out of it." Dean rambled and Adam chuckled humorlessly.

"Yeah, freaking hilarious how well that worked." Adam snorted and Dean nodded in agreement, the anger Adam felt was directed more at the things that killed him the first time than the father who lied to protect him.

"Things never work out a way a Winchester wants them to, but that's just the way things work I suppose. Sam has only recently come to realize that, but it doesn't mean our lives suck completely. You just have to accept that life throws you lemons and you have to enjoy throwing them back in the enemies face." Dean chuckled, picturing squirting a lemon in Lucifer's eyes, not that it would actually do anything, but the imagery was amusing. He was pleased to note Adam found it amusing as well and he wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Sam sometimes get's this bitch face when something doesn't go his way. Don't let it fool you though, he's not always right, despite all that schooling he got. He also eats like a girl, now I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good old hearty meal, even back when I was just a bat demon." Dean said before realizing what he had just told his brother.

Now that his human and demon half had fully merged, sped up thanks to hell and prevented from killing him thanks selfish Archangels, the changes were more prominent and hard to miss. Adam had not asked yet and for that Dean had been thankful, but now Adam was openly gaping at him, the first expression to grace his face other than agony in a long time.

"What do you mean you were a demon? I thought you couldn't be possessed because of those tattoos?" Adam asked and Dean sighed, running a hand through his silky black strands.

"I'm a reincarnated demon, not like the demons here, my kind are alive and they don't need to possess people. Some of them do eat people, there are a bunch of sickos out there. However, some are different, just like humans and they choose to live among humans or ignore them all together." Dean admitted and Adam frowned, sitting up, Dean was hurt at the loss of closeness, he had just been making progress with getting Adam to open up.

"What kind were you? I mean, obviously you aren't going to eat me now, but what type were you?" Adam asked in concern, Dean could tell he was now leery about the sudden elongated nails he had and pointed teeth. Even his now slightly pointed ears were intimidating the youngest Winchester, thankfully they were not the length of their former glory. His height had increased, he was taller and built more like Sam, in fact, if he had any cash on him, he would bet they looked a little more alike now.

"I ate fruits and vegetables mainly, but I would indulge in dried animal meats with Kurama on occasion. We also rarely killed anyone and if we did, more often than not it was other demons, we were thieves, not killers." Dean chuckled at the extents they would go through to avoid drawing attention. It would make most action films he watched in his years as Dean look like cheap circus tricks in comparison.

"T-that's good to know, I guess, but what will other hunters think? I mean I'm freaking out about it a little bit and I know very little about the supernatural." Adam insisted animately and Dean gave a sigh.

"You know more about the supernatural than most hunters, don't sell yourself short. Very few hunters deal with anything other than your occasional spook or werewolf. I'm not saying they aren't good at what they do, but how many hunters can say the fought off the devil and angels and won?" Dean asked, elbowing Adam in the ribs with a mischievous smile, avoiding thinking about what the other hunters would think. It would not be the first time hunters had turned on a Winchester.

"Yeah, and how many can say they've been to hell and back, huh, Dean?" Adam grinned and Dean smiled back, it was the first real smile he had seen on his brother's face, even before the pit and he hope his meant that his brother was finally warming up to him.

"Exactly, keep those hopes up, we'll make it out of this and when we do, Sam's paying for the beer." Dean grinned and hauled his brother up. "Come on, let's keep going, we're not even to the pit yet and it's been weeks since we escaped. Once we get past the pit, it'll be easier to move without being noticed."

Adam nodded, dusting... well he wasn't going to think about what his brother was dusting from his jeans, so he started the hike up.

* * *

It took nearly another week to get to the pit and by then the two of them were glad for the semi structured lower levels. This was the holding cell area and if they were caught here, there would not be anywhere to hide. So they moved with caution as they worked their way up to the higher levels. Eventually they would reach the racks, but Dean had something he needed to get first. Counting off cell numbers and taking seemingly random turns, they eventually came to a dead end.

"Huh, Dean, I hate to break it to you, but there isn't anywhere to go." Adam pointed out the obvious and Dean just chuckled, walking up to the wall.

"There is, but you just have to find it first. I hid something here the first time I died as Kuronue and an old... acquaintance wants it back." Dean said, pushing on one of the bricks, it gave way a little before a blinding light sucked them in.

The two of them stumbled, but managed to stay standing, it always threw him off a little when he entered. Adam looked around at the scenery change, flabbergasted at the forest surrounding them.

"Are we out?" Adam asked in panicked excitement and Dean gave him a forlorn look.

"No and in some ways this place is worse if you draw attention to yourself. I don't know what this place is, but the demon part of my soul hid here for a while." Dean said, glancing back at the now closed rock face.

"Can't we stay here? Do we have to go back?" Adam asked, he too looked back at the rock face with a cringe.

"Yeah, we do, I don't know how to get out of this place, there might not be a way out. However, don't let this place fool you Adam, it is almost as if it is hell for all the supernatural crap I hunt. There are things in here that I didn't even know existed." Dean grumbled as he stepped up to a tree and looked to the right.

There was a rock and tree, so he turned, marching toward it. Once to the rock, tree formation, Dean stood at the tree, then looked left. Sure enough the hollowed pine looking tree that had been there before was still there. Dean reached into the tree and pulled out a piece of cloth wrapped around something. Taking the cloth off, Dean looked at the necklace with a fond smile. It was his most prised theft.

"What is it? A necklace?" Adam asked in disbelief, staring at the ruby glinting in the non-existent sun. Even Dean was not sure where the source of light came from, but it made the necklace look brighter than he remembered.

"Yeah, I stole it from Death a long time ago. It allows the wearer to evade Death as long as it is around their neck. However, it has a nasty habit of trying to find a way back to it's owner and falls off occasionally. That was how I died the first time." Dean murmured, it was one of those moments, staring at the pendant, that he could not remember whether he was Dean or Kuronue.

Giving a sigh, he had been doing that a lot lately and he could really use a beer, Dean dropped the necklace over Adam's neck. Adam gave a surprised gasp and reached to take the pendant off and Dean stopped him.

"Dean, I can't, what about-" Adam began and Dean cut him off.

"Don't worry about it, it's only until we get out of here. If I don't make it back, give that to Kurama, you don't know him, but Sam will. Kurama will know what to do with it." Dean instructed Adam, who reluctantly nodded, fiddling with the pendant.

"Don't leave me to get out of here alone, alright Dean?" Adam begged and Dean nodded, turning and following the makeshift path back toward the exit to hell.

However, before they could take the last turn, something blurred past them. Dean pulled Adam close to him and turned to look behind them, whatever it was had not thought he would be able to see it move. Behind them stood what looked like a human, but Dean knew better.

"And where do you think you're going?" The grin of the creature became toothy and Dean grabbed a hold of Adam, taking off for the portal.

Something pierced his leg and he let out a pain filled scream, the irony was not lost on him, but it did not quell the panic.

"Dean!" Adam shouted and turned back for him, just as Kurama had.

"Run Adam, I'm right behind you!" Dean yelled back, watching just long enough to see that Adam ran the wrong direction and turned to see what had pierced his leg.

It was a makeshift spear, made from some kind of bone and it's owner was now circling him. The other one joined his partner and a third, female joined them.

Things were not looking good...

* * *

To be Continued

* * *

AN: This took a lot less time than I thought it would to finish, I hope you enjoy the longer chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Snow of Time

Chapter 4

* * *

Kurama rested for the first time in a long time, it seemed. Bobby was driving a nondescript van he had patched together and Kurama was pleased to be able to stretch out in all of his six-foot-five glory. Over the past year he had filled out more, gaining back a portion of his former strength and height, it had shocked Bobby and Sam, but they both took it in stride. Especially Sam, as he was not used to coming across someone who was taller than him.

The three of them were on their way to Norfolk Nebraska, about two and a half hours from Bobby's place. The street they were currently looking for was Madison Ave, a local business street. About half way down was a set of railroad tracks where a portal into Spirit World was going to open. It was not often this portal caused trouble, mainly a missing crate or cart, but it would give them the back door they needed.

Bobby pulled the van to a stop in the parking lot of an old screen printing place and parked in the furthest spot, locking the van and setting the alarm. Sam gave Bobby a questioning look, but the old, crass, hunter just grunted and climbed from the driver's seat.

"Demons ain't the only thing you have to worry about, now look lively and get a move on, this portal only opens once a month." Bobby barked, looking at a map before taking off in the direction they needed.

Sure enough, there lay the railroad tracks and off to the right of them was a shimmering portal, barely visible if you were looking for it. Kurama was certain that Sam could see it as well, however, Bobby was still walking, referring to the map with a frown. Sam reached out and grabbed the man he viewed as a father, preventing him from walking into the portal.

"What gives?" Bobby demanded, looking around them to see if he missed something.

"You were about to walk into the portal, don't you see it?" Sam was openly staring and gesturing to the portal. It must have looked ridiculous to the older man.

"No, or else I wouldn't have been about to amble my normal ass self into it." Bobby was sulking, but Kurama could see it was hard for the older hunter to not be able to join them.

There was an awkward silence after that, not for the two hunters, but Kurama. They were saying their silent promises and goodbyes. Bobby pulled Sam into a tight hug and told him to come back with his idjit of a brother. Sam told him he would and they parted, awkward moment over. Sam turned to look at Kurama and he waved him on. Settling his pack on his back, Sam turn to the portal and vanished into it. Kurama walked up to the portal, turned to Bobby and inclined his head in a hurried farewell before vanishing into the swirling vortex.

* * *

The trip through the portal was as disorientating as usual and he was not surprised to find Sam knelt over on the other side, gasping for breath. He loomed over Sam, keeping a keen eye out for any threats that may be lurking in the shadows of the forest they had entered. It took Sam several minutes before he was able to stand, albeit shakily and warily.

"This is demon world? It looks like something from an old horror movie." Sam lamented, looking at the mossy trees and dusty foliage.

"You must feel right at home then." Kurama smirked and Sam rolled his eyes in reluctant agreement.

"Don't remind me, come on, we should find the group." Sam was brave, Kurama would give him credit for that, however, he was still human, mostly.

Whatever was in Sam, it seemed to permeate the air in Makai, amplified in some way. Kurama paid it no mind, even if Makai was affecting Sam, he would not share that information willingly. Whatever the case may be, Sam was leading them in the proper direction, right for the imposing energy of his allies.

"Oi! Aete yokatta!" (Hey! Good to see you!) Kuwabara shouted and Sam halted in confusion before slipping an ear-cuff from his pocket and putting it in his ear.

"Greetings Kasuma-kun, I was not aware you were going to be here." Kurama greeted in return and Sam smiled at the friendly face, glad to recognize at least one of the 'people' in the group before him.

"I wasn't sure I could get away from the academy, but the deputy Head Mistress took over for a while. Besides, this could be my chance to show up Urameshi." Kuwabara cackled and was promptly hit over the head with the sheath of Hei's sword.

Beside the two stood Yukina, restraining giggles at her husband and brother's antics. It was not much of a rescue party, Kurama had to admit, especially where Sam was unsuccessful in calling his angel friend. They would be lucky to make it out of this alive.

"Sammu, I apologize for Hei's rudeness, this is my wife Yukina." Kuwabara introduced, speaking choppy, but understandable English.

"It's very nice to meet you Yukina-san. I appreciate all of you helping me find my brother." Sam greeted in return, giving an awkward bow. It was clear Sam had tried to learn Japanese curtsy, however, that would do him no good in Makai.

"Bowing is not necessary Ningen, in Makai it is a sign of weakness unless you are bowing to a superior." Hei abrasively stated and Sam flushed with embarrassment, but did not apologize.

"It's all cool Sam-kun, we're all friends here." Kuwabara exclaimed and this time, it was Yukina who punch him lightly in the arm.

"What my dear husband means, is that a bow between friends is alright. It is nice to meet you as well, Sam-san." Yukina and Kuwabara returned the bow and Sam appreciated the gesture to make him feel less embarrassed at his mistake.

"Thank you, this means a lot to me, I feel pretty useless, but I need to do this, he's the only family I have left." Sam fidgeted and Kurama could not tell if it was nervousness or the aura Makai gave off.

"I understand, Sam-kun, I too know what it is like to be in search for a lost brother." Yukina, out of the three of the Spirit Detective's group, knew most about searching for a lost sibling.

"Hey, my offer still stands you know; if you want to learn to harness your powers, that is. They're stronger now and just under the surface. I know this journey is going to be dangerous for us normal guys and any help you can get is going to be necessary." Kuwabara offered and Kurama could all but feel Sam pulling into himself.

"I don't know... two years ago, I would have jumped at the chance, but now... they're dangerous and last time I let them loose, it wasn't pretty." Sam was not going to share anymore than that, but Kurama had an idea of what the younger Winchester was speaking about.

"I have no clue what you're talking about, I do sense they have been tainted, but you psychic waves are all natural, if that's what you're talking about? Or do they do harm to others when you use them?" Kuwabara inquired, moving closer to take a deeper look into Sam's psyche.

"Huh, they don't harm others, but the last time I awakened them it created this..." Sam trailed off once again, unable to admit to his follies so easily.

"What Sam is trying to say, is that he was manipulated into consuming demonic blood in order to awaken his psychic abilities. A faulty method and highly risky for the human counter part." Kurama supplied, filling the gap Kuwabara would need to help Sam.

"Nani? Demon blood? Man that's just gross, but I suppose if a natural psychic were to consume demonic blood, it might trigger that kind of reaction. However, there is no way the side affects from that were good, especially if you were to go without it." Kuwabara was mostly formulating, he tended to think out loud more often than not.

"Did you have abilities before the blood consumption?" Kuwabara inquired, finally giving Sam his full focus, the others leaned in curiously, eager to hear what Sam would say.

"I had visions, futuristic visions. Though they were usually tied to the demon who gave me his blood when I was a baby and the other psychic children. He was searching for something at the time and it was a test of sorts." Kurama was slightly surprised at this bit of information, Koenma had not mentioned this before.

"Futuristic visions, but concentrated around a single event. It could be that the blood was not so much a catalyst to your powers developing, but a focus, forcing them to zoom in on one event or specific people." Kurama could fill in the blank about it also being the introduction of Sam's addiction. Much like kids who are born while their mother is under the influence of drugs. The child is born with the addiction and often, when they are older, are more susceptible to develop an addiction of their own.

"I hadn't ever thought of it that way, but I think you might be onto something." Kurama was glad to see Sam not completely dismissing the idea, because without help from the Winchester's angel friend, Sam was going to be vulnerable.

"Just think about it, we've got about a week before we get far enough down that we will start running into serious trouble. However, the sooner you decide, the better, it's going to take you time and I have a feeling you have a lot of shit to work through." Kuwabara advised and Sam nodded in appreciation, ending the discussion.

"Now that the two of you are done bonding out here in the open, can we get a move on. You are not the only ones who have duties to attend to if we survive this suicide run." Hei grunted and Kurama could not hide an amused smile at his long time friend's antics.

This was going to be a long trip if Sam's pout was anything to go by.

Yukina giggled conspiratorially before leading the way, her husband and brother close behind.

"That went better than I had thought it would." Sam stated and Kurama let out a low chuckle of his own.

"Swift on your feet Winchester, or you wont think that for very long." Kurama advised, knowing full well Hei would try and scare the younger man into keeping up if he did not pull his own weight.

"Lovely, it's like dad and his idea of camping all over again." Sam grumbled and Kurama swallowed another chuckle in hopes to not start trouble.

If Sam thought this was like camping, he could only imagine what camping with a Winchester involved.

Time would tell, but Kurama was more worried about Sam's physical ability to keep up.

This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

AN: Hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

Snow of Time

Chapter 5

* * *

Great, Dean thought, he was going to die via shish-kabob, again. Actually, that had been just about the only way the Trickster had not killed him that Tuesday when he and his brother were stuck in TV land. The vampires circling him were vile creatures and their scent was pungent to match. One of them jerked forward in a feint and another attacked from behind, however, Dean had expected as much.

The vampire was surprised at how fast he was still able to move. Thankfully the spear had not impaled itself into the ground, preventing movement entirely. It did prevent movement enough that he was not able to land a solid blow, only grazing the vampire with his claws. Effectively, the other two retreated from arms reach as well, allowing Dean just enough time to pull the spear from his thigh.

Now armed and ready to fight, Dean charged the first vampire that came into his line of sight. With a quick swipe, Dean took the head of the vampire, leaving it to tumble to the ground with a wet thunk as he turned to his last two opponents. It was times like these that he wished he could still fly as the remaining two charged at him from both directions.

However, jumping into the air sufficed just as well and the two crashed into each other with a sickening crunch. Dean landed less than gracefully, but was still able to remove their heads before they could untangle themselves. Giving a long sigh, thankful to be armed, he dusted his clothes and turned in the direction that Adam had vanished.

Hopefully the kid had not gotten himself into too much trouble...

* * *

_He was in trouble_, Adam knew that much.

There was something chasing him and there was no way for him to know what it was. Ghouls he knew about, he had been eaten by one for God's sake! However, whatever was after him was beyond his comprehension. It's face split nearly in half as it chased him, hissing and drooling all the way.

Adam had just enough time to scramble under the upturned roots of a fallen tree before the thing caught up to him. It ran past with a breathy hiss, it's spindly tongue wagging in the breeze like a blood hound on the hunt. He was not sure if it was completely gone, but Adam did not linger in the roots to find out. Instead, back tracking as far as he could, Adam did his best to hide his tracks. However, the trees all looked the same and it had him turning in circles, passing his own boot prints as he went.

Either way, at least it looked as if he had lost the thing that was tailing him, only time would tell and he had to find Dean before he ran into it again.

_'If Dean is alive.'_ His mind taunted.

Guilt ate at him for leaving his half brother behind. In the time they had been together, Adam had grown fond of the other man, admittedly, grudgingly at first, he was still slightly angry at him for leaving him to the merciless Archangel Micheal. However, it was not as if Dean or Sam could have done anything at the time, they too were only human. With a shiver to dispel thoughts of Micheal, Adam glanced up into the trees, looking for a suitable spot to rest. There were several spots, however, all the trunks were too thick to climb without rope and too high up to allow him visibility of the ground.

It was neither dark or light wherever Dean had taken them, there was just enough light coming through the trees to allow acceptable vision, but seeing into the distance was a pain. A dewy fog permeated the air, adding to the lack a viability and to an extent Adam was thankful for that. However, it did not make finding his brother any easier.

It seemed like hours that he stumbled through the thick forest, though there was not much undergrowth, there were many roots. Adam took deep breaths, fighting back the frustration of trying not to trip over the taller roots and possibly make a bad situation worse. The trees were so close it gave a sense of claustrophobia and inhibited line of sight as well. Dean could have been just on the other side of a tree and Adam would not have known it. Exhaustion was also creeping in, draining his focus and forcing him to work harder to lift his limbs.

Just as he was about to give up, Adam finally found a younger tree, one he could wrap his arms around fairly easily. It was a struggle to get up the tree, even with the better grip he had. About mid way, the thinner tree grew close enough to the branch of a bigger tree, one low enough he would still be able to see the ground. It was thick enough for him to sit on comfortably and plenty wide to hide him well from the ground below. Getting onto it was a chore and his arms shook as he settled his weight fully onto the branch. Tiredly, he scooted to the trunk of the tree, using it as a backrest and allowing him to get as comfortable as possible.

It was still just a tree, after all, not his nice warm bed.

Adam, even with the rough bark scraping at any exposed skin, still began to doze after only a few minutes. However, he was too afraid to sleep, instead he lay out on the branch, peering over the edge for any sign of his attackers, only half hoping to see his brother.

There was a slim chance that he survived.

* * *

Dean cursed his stupidity at telling Adam to run, he should have been more specific or told him to stay out of the way.

_'But what if you had died? What would have happened then?'_ The part of his conscious, that sounded strangely like Kurama, nagged.

He wished he could find his brother, he promised to get him out of hell. However, Dean was not sure this was not hell and there was no way he was leaving his youngest brother behind. Trudging through the scenery, Dean would pause every so often and listen, thankful that he still retained some of his demonic heritage. Bat hearing was better than most creatures and it proved useful as he heard the soft, sounds of a human sleeping.

Looking around for a good few minutes, Dean was confused as to where the sound was coming from. With a pensive frown, he looked up in the trees to find a good better spot to continue his search and just as he spotted a good place to perch, a foot swung out over the edge. Before he knew could process what was about to happen, a body soon followed the foot, hurtling toward him like the comet that killed off the dinosaurs.

Adam let out a yelp as he fell and Dean took the brunt of the kid's fall. Something crunched unhealthily in the tangle of limbs and Dean could not resist a cry of pain of his own. His brother rolled off him with a groan, the wind had been knocked from the both of them and Dean was sure that Adam was worse off in that respect.

Dean's leg had started to bleed again as he sat up, or maybe it had been bleeding all along. It was hard to tell as he had been dutifully ignoring the relatively minor wound. However, his leg was the least of his worries at the moment, there was a bone sticking out of his left arm and hysterically Dean could only think about how lucky he was that it had not been his right arm.

"Dean! I'm so sorry, I didn't, oh my God! You arm!" Adam was freaking out and Dean felt like hurling, he did not want to listen to the kid's panicked rambling.

"Dude, calm down. I'm going to be alright. I need you to find me a splint in a moment, but first, you're going to have to help me set this break." Dean wheezed, a few of his ribs ached painfully, but it was drowned out by the pain of his arm.

"I-I know, I was studying to be a doctor you know. It's not as simple as just setting the bone, it's going to need to be operated on. If we set it the way it is, there'll be swelling and worse damage." Adam stuttered out and Dean leaned over to give a dry heave. Thankfully neither of them had eaten in days, nothing to throw up, nothing to aspirate if he feinted.

"Fuck, just do what you have to do, it'll heal in a couple of weeks." Dean ground out feeling shaky and disconnected.

"Shit, lay down Dean, you're going into shock, possibly a panic attack, just take deep breaths and try to think of something else." Adam was removing his jacket even as he spoke, the fear from before was gone as he concentrated on taking care of the wound.

Dean did as he was told, he would not have been able to argue, even if he wanted to. Once he laid back, the trees above came into full view, making him feel tinier than he really was. It was muddled looking through the haze of pain, but it was enough to clear his mind. His shift into calmness must have scared his brother, because he started asking him questions, just to make sure Dean was not drifting off. There were several minutes, as Adam removed his shirt sleeve and used it to slow the bleeding, that Dean thought about how little he knew about his brother. His thoughts were interrupted by his brother making a distressed sound, drawing his attention back to his arm.

"What is it?" Dean ground out, even though he did not feel like talking.

"I don't have anything to make you more comfortable and all I have is the head of this spear to work with." Adam was shaking now, apparently the thought of causing him more pain was getting to him.

"Find a stick or something for me to bite down on, you're going to have to do this the old fashion way. That or you're going to have to knock me unconscious, but it might cause a concussion." Dean offered, trying to be helpful, however, he could tell it was not working.

"I can't Dean, what if I accidentally put you in a coma? Or while I'm operating, what if I knick an artery with this spear tip?" Adam was still green, Dean could see, obviously his career as a doctor was not very far along or he would not be doubting himself as he was.

"What if it gets infected? You're going to have to do what you can and hope for the best. I'm a demon and though we're a lot like humans in how our body works, we are a little more resilient." Adam did not believe him, but Dean knew this to be a fact and if he left the wound for more than a couple of days, it would be worse than if Adam doctored it as best he could.

Too many times during his life as Kuronue had he come across demons who had limbs heal at odd angles. He was not going to be one of those demons, he already had bowed legs because of his life as Dean, he was most certainly not going to have a funky arm.

"Alright, I can do this." Adam told himself.

And he did, Dean grunting in an effort not to scream the entire time. All three hours of torture, was still nothing compared to what either one of them had endured in the cage, so Dean made it through. When it was all over, Dean could have sworn his arm hurt more now than it had before, but at least it looked strait and properly set.

Adam whipped the blood on his hands on his jeans and Dean scooted so that he could sit up, his back propped up against the trunk of a tree.

"I'm sorry Dean, not just for the arm, but for the trouble I caused when Zacharia brought me back. The things I said to the two of you and about Dad, I didn't mean them. I would like to get to know you two, maybe even take up the family business if you'll teach me." Adam's voice trembled a little, tears had crept past his eyes and were trailing marks in the grime on his face.

They were tired, the both of them and Dean knew Adam was at his breaking point, no pun intended.

"I know and I don't blame you. I'll talk to Sam, I'm sure we can figure something out, if nothing else, he won't object to us teaching you how to defend yourself." Dean shifted his arm in the makeshift sling, his jacket had not survived the need for a support for his arm. "Try to get some sleep, I doubt I'll be sleeping with my arm throbbing the way it is."

Dean no need tell his brother to sleep. Adam, tears still streaming down his face, had already dozed off, face pinched in worry even in his sleep. It was going to be a long wait before they could get out of here and back on their journey. The only redeeming thing about being here, was the fact he would have plenty of time to heal, as time moved slower hear than topside.

Staring off into the crop of trees in front of him, Dean hummed a soft tune, thinking of the mothers he had lost and the mother Adam was probably still mourning.

He could really use some soup made from a caring mother right about now and some painkillers, but he would settle for the comfort of his sleeping brother.

He was with family, what more could he ask for?

* * *

To Be Continued...

* * *

AN: Sorry for such a long wait on the chapter, it's the longest one yet and I did not have a whole lot of time to work on it. Let me know if it turned out okay!


	6. Chapter 6

Snow of Time

Chapter 6

* * *

Sam wanted to kick a rock sullenly, but they were walking too fast and he was beginning to wonder if the others would ever stop to take a break. He was well fit, even more so in the year Dean had been gone, he could hunt anyway he wanted to and exercise without fear of being teased.

Despite this, Sam was still finding it hard to keep up with anyone other than Yukina, who he was convinced was lagging behind to keep him company. She gave him a warm smile, contrary to her frosty blue hair and eyes. Kuwabara was a lucky man, if only Ruby had turned out as nice as this demon before him, then perhaps things might have turned out better than they had.

Sam shook his head, trying to stave off an approaching headache and attempted to pick up the pace. That traitor was long gone.

A flash of a forest played out before his eyes, it was so fast that he thought he might have imagined it. Only, it happened again, but this time it was like something was looming behind him. However, when he turned, there was nothing there, nor did the path match the flash of what he had seen.

They were nearing a crop of woods and the trail lead through the dark, looming trees. Sam just knew if they were going to run into trouble, it would be in the creepy forest. The road was starting to look too much like the flashes for his liking and it unsettled him as to what that could mean. Pulling Ruby's demon killing knife, from it's holster inside his jacket, Sam was on the alert. There were demons crawling over every inch of that forest and he could not be too careful.

The others glanced at him, curious about what he was doing, peering at the spot he was staring at in the forest. Kuwabara, surprisingly was the next one to react to what was on it's way, the others close behind him. The trees rustled as whatever was coming drew closer, all of their eyes were glued to the tree line, waiting, watching.

That's why Sam almost did not expect the attack from behind, only having enough time to turn and stab it under the jaw before his brain registered what was happening. Yukina let out a gasp and the demon cracked with lightening before crumbling into nothingness.

'This must be what it looks like inside of the meat suit when the demon dies.' Sam mused for half a second, right before they were surrounded by a horde of demons.

He had been wrong, they had not made it to the forest before trouble hit.

However, now they were all in the thick of battle and Sam was tired from the walk, his head was pounding away with every move he made. Yukina moved to protect him, dispatching the next demon easily and Sam could not resist what the headache brought next. Images flashed before his eyes, he could see the others, though they were behind him, as if he were the one attacking them. There were two more hidden not too far away, setting up a trap, meaning that these ones were just a distraction.

Sam's knees gave out as the vision ended, sending him to the ground as if they never existed. Blood flowed freely from his nostrils, the sensation made him nauseated and he heaved up what little he had eaten that morning. A hand on his shoulder held him stable as he emptied the contents of his stomach and he wondered if he would ever get used to the onslaught of pain his visions caused. Pushing up with what little energy he had left, Sam stood, rejecting Kurama's offered hand.

"Thanks, but I'm good now, I just need a few minutes." Sam wheezed out, still disorientated and half expecting to be standing in the woods, despite the fact they had not traveled that far yet.

Taking a bandanna from his pocket, he used it to wipe the blood from his face and then returned it to his pocket. The warm water he retrieved form the side of his bag hardly quenched his thirst, but it did help removed the taste of his own blood. It was not much, but it would have to do for now, because he wanted to continue before it was too late. He was not expected to move just yet, however, he was determined not to give the other two demons a chance to get the drop on him.

Facing away from the forest, Sam removed a notebook and pen from his backpack, jotting down what he had seen. Tearing it from the notebook, he stuffed the items back in his bag and put the slip of paper up his sleeve. Marching forward, he shoved past Hei who was blocking the path and slipped the paper into the demon's hand.

"Watch where you are going human." Hei growled on cue, turning from the forest with a huff and making his way sullenly to the back of the group.

* * *

Sam resisted a smile as he led them toward the trap, to anyone looking in on them, it would seem as if his cheek was twitching in anger. He stopped just before he would set off the trigger of the demon's trap and looked at his surroundings. A confused look made its way to his face before he took a chance and turned toward the rest of the group.

"Am I going the right way? Maybe you should take over Kuwabara." Sam sheepishly ran a hand through his hair, adopting a defeated stance and it got the response he was looking for. The three of them were snickering at him for storming off without knowing where he was going.

"You're as hot headed as Hei..." Kuwabara said, noticing their short companion had vanished.

A devious smile crept across his face as he heard the first scream and then he turned to dismantle the trap as the second scream resounded in the trees. Hei appeared on the path as silently as he had left and Sam envied the demons ability to move so gracefully.

"You- how did- what's going on?" Kuwabara stuttered, Yukina was just as surprised and Kurama had a pensive look about him.

"Your visions have returned." The fox demon stated, it was the first thing he had said since they left and Sam's smile fell as he turned away from them.

"Worse than ever." Sam admitted, not please the others were privy to this bit of information.

"I was wondering how you knew they were approaching before I did. Usually I'm the first one to sense these sort of things. I've always been sensitive to the supernatural, but that was impressive." Kuwabara congratulated him, though Sam did not feel as if it was worth the praise.

"They're nothing special, mostly just painful and sometimes I can't change what happens." It was true and the hunter wished he did not have them at all.

"You know, a backlash like that is usually because a person is trying to resist their abilities. With psychic powers, they are of the mind, not the body and if you resist them, they build up. Before too long, they explode from you in a violent burst, kind of like a backed up pipe and lots of water pressure. If you're not going to accept my help, you should start practicing on your own, 'exercise' your abilities or they're going to kill you."

Kuwabara's words were honest, Sam knew that much. However, he felt torn between the promise to his brother, which he had already broken once and the thought of his powers killing him. Not that he wanted to die, but he would do anything to keep that promise. The problem then became what would his brother do to try to bring him back? Would it be worse to not learn to use the abilities or to break the promise one more time?

"Yeah, I see what you mean, but the last time I used my powers, I did bad things with them... I don't want that to happen again. I promised Dean I wouldn't." Yukina approached him, taking his hand in her delicate ones.

"Sam, I know that if anything bad ever happened to my brother because of a promise I asked him to make, I would be devastated. I would rather be disappointed that he failed to keep the promise and lived, than if kept the promise and died."

Sam wavered for a moment before remembering she was a demon and demons lie. Ruby had lied, so what was so special about Yukina? Then again, Dean was a demon now too, a part of his mind nagged.

'What if things were different this time?' Sam could not help thinking, the need to do what he thought was right verses the need to please his brother was always something he struggled with.

"I will think about it." Sam agreed, wanting to carry on, he would wait and ask his brother once they found him, maybe Dean would understand this time...

Maybe it was time to decide the Winchester family was not as human as they portrayed themselves to be.

Kurama had hardly said anything to him since they had left and for that Sam was thankful. There was a level of resentment toward the taller man that Sam was sure was unhealthy. However, he could not help the feeling, before Dean had been trapped in hell for the second time, he had changed. Sam was no longer sure if the thing that took his place, was truly his brother or a monster pretending to be him.

The deeper parts of his mind argued that he was being stupid. Dean would not have tried to save him, let alone the rest of the world, if he was not still the brother he once knew. Yet everything came back to the betrayal that was Ruby. The yearning for demon blood she left him with was strong, even now. Hei, Yukina and Kurama's blood taunted him, just demonic enough to catch a whiff of power, but not like the power that flowed from the veins of a possessed meat suit.

Not to mention the skull splitting headache that accompanied his visions. The relief the demon blood gave from the headaches, was like a morphine addict jonesing for the next hit and Sam hated it. It was a weakness that he had no intention of giving into once again.

Pushing the craving from his mind as best he could, Sam struggled to keep up with the group as they continued their journey through the forest. Nothing else attacked them as the traveled and so they finally decided to stop.

To Sam's utter dismay, it was nearly another full day of walking before that rest ever came.


End file.
